The record of the early years of the life of Silas James
(Choctaw Roll #642) are vague and somewhat confusing. According to a short
biographical sketch in a book entitled “Leader and Leading Men of the
Indian Territory” by H.F. O’Beirne. Silas was born on the route between
his fathers home in Mississippi and Skullyville County, Choctaw Nation in

He remained in Skullyville until he moved to Gaines County in the
early sixties. It is unclear whether he went alone or with his parents but
it is reasonable to assume it was with his parents for it was there that
his younger brother, McKee James was born. McKee also has a chort
biographical sketch in the same book.

Records show that on July 8, 1861, in Perryville, Silas joined
the “1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles”. They were also called
Volunteers, Riflemen and Cavalry. In Company “A” he rose through the ranks
from Corporal to Third and the Second Lieutenant where he served as
Adjutant to Captain William Pitchlyn. Later when Strickland took charge of
the company and was promoted to First Lieutenant in which position he
served until the conclusion of the Civil War.

In 1877 Silas was appointed County Clerk of Atoka County.
There is no mention of how or who the appointing authority might have
been. He was either appointed or elected Judge of Atoka County in 1879 and
was re-elected in 1888. Payroll records for “County Judges, Clerks and
Rangers” dated as the 1st Quarter-Aug. Sept. and Oct. 1889 show him as
County Judge and being paid $37.50 for his services. A quote O’Beirne’s
book states, “Judge Silas James is on of the most highly respected
citizens in the Nation, being loved by all classes, rich and poor alike.
He is kind and charitable to his fellow men, and possesses a heart in
proportion to his size, which, when reduced to figures means six feet two
and one-half inches in height, two hundred and ten pounds in weight and
stature straight as an arrow, and character equally upright”. At the time
of the writing of the afore mentioned book Judge James also owned a farm
of one hundred acres and two hundred and fifty head of cattle.

It appears Silas was a man of extraordinary social and
political ability as well as an excellent Attorney at Law. In the archives
of the Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City there are legal
documents written by him in both English and Choctaw.

There are many interesting articles located in the Historical
Society records. For example, there was an effort made not lose some
historical perspective on the early days in the Indian Territory in the
1800’s. Following is a quote from one such interview by a lady named Sarah
Horn. “I believe as best as I can remember that I was about thirty years
of age when I came to the Choctaw Nation. We settles in the Nation near
what the Choctaw Indians called Old Shake-rag and now goes by the name
Vokoshe. There were not a great many white settlers in the Nation when we
came here. My nearest neighbor was a full blood Choctaw Indian named Silas
James. This Indian was moved from the South with the other five tribes on
their Trail of Tears as they called it when they were moved from the south
to this new country. This man was reasonably educated and spoke reasonably
good English. The Choctaw tribal government had a number of large log
court houses scattered around over the Nation. This Indian, Silas James,
got the appointment as Choctaw Indian Judge. All members of the court were
of the full blood Choctaw tribe. Mostly older members of the tribe
received these appointments because they had some education. A complete
record was kept of all trials in the Choctaw courts. These records were
written in long hand and placed in the court books in the Choctaw
language.”

In 1866 Silas married Malinda Frazier, a Chickasaw, by whom he
had six children all of whom died. On September 21, 1894 he also lost his
wife Malinda. Although Silas is of the Choctaw Nation it is believed that
his children by Malinda were enrolled as Chickasaw. Daniel who lived until
age seventeen appears on the roll as a Chickasaw. The numbers are
confusing with names and numbers appearing on both the Choctaw and
Chickasaw rolls.

In 1886 Silas James married Mar Gower. Silas was in his late
fifties, she in her early twenties. Mary (Gower) James was enrolled into
the Choctaw Nation as Intermarried roll #554. Four children were born to
this couple, three of whom appear in the Choctaw toll: Orenah Cadron James
born March 2, 1898 (643). Silas Jackson James born February 2, 1900 (644),
Arabel James born June 23, 1904 (NB 18) and Anna Lee who died as a baby.
Silas applied for and received land allotments for each of the three
enrolled children as well as his wife, Mary. It appears that he was rather
selective in his choice of land for his children for the parcels were not
adjoining but rather they were scattered throughout the Choctaw Nation.
Records indicate that the allotment claimed for Mary was the subject of a
civil suit which Silas filed on her behalf. Apparently a settler claimed
that the settler had rights to the property. The matter was settled when a
Judgement was rendered in behalf of Mary. All of the land allotments have
long since passed from the hands of the family to other people.

The oldest daughter, Cadron, married Jeff Wynn and there were
nine children born of this marriage: Froman, Coleman, Inez, Winifred,
Kenneth, Thomas, June, Virginia, and Bessie. It is thought that each is
married and have children. Most of them reside in the state if Washington
or have passed away.

Silas Jackson married Bessie Morton and four children were
born, Pauline, Pauline, Peggy, Phyllis, and Donna. Phyllis died as a baby.
Peggy after she married. Each had children of their own and most reside in
the state of Washington.

Arabel married Felix Jackson King July 22,1920 in Hartville,
Missouri. Four children were born to them. The first, Mildred Darlene
King, married Charles Elbert Harris in Oklahoma in 1939 and they have two
children. Meredith Ann and Charles Jr. all of whom are registered with the
Choctaw Nation. They all reside in Tacoma, Washington. The second, Felix
Jackson King Jr. married Joyce Baikie August 7, 1948 and they have two
daughters, Judy and Shelley. They reside in the San Francisco Bay area.
The third, Donald D. King married Joan Lee Stiles November 23,1 954, and
they have three children, Michael, Mark, and Stacey, all of whom are
registered with the Choctaw Nation. They live in California. The fourth,
Leroy Duane King married Jacqueline Crandall August 7, 1965, and they have
a daughter Kathryn, a registered Choctaw, and two sons David and Dane.
They reside in California and Washington.

Judge Silas James died in 1906 and is buried in the James
family cemetery which is located East of Coalgate, Oklahoma. Also buried
there are his first wife Malinda and their children, as well as his second
wife Mary.

Silas James left his descendants a legacy of integrity,
respectability, and decency of which we can all be proud.